Pest Expert Overview: Flesh Flies in Bryan & College Station
If you’ve ever been to a crawfish boil or cleaned fish outside, you’ve almost definitely seen flesh flies before. These are the large grayish flies with 3 prominent black stripes on their thorax (behind the head). Flesh flies seem to show up instantly out of nowhere the second there is any kind of dead animal. This is because the larvae of most of the flesh fly species develop on dead animals. They are beneficial in that they quickly consume the carcass, leaving only dry hide and bone behind. While flesh flies are largely known for feeding on animal carcasses, there are species whose larvae are parasites and predators of other insects.
Flesh flies belong to the insect Order Diptera and the Family Sarcophagidae. There are around 327 different species of Flesh Flies in the United States. Around 40 species of Flesh Flies have been identified in College Station, Texas (https://archive.org/details/cbarchive_52967_notesontexassarcophagidaedipte1890).
Life Cycle
Flesh fly adults actually lay newly hatched larvae, rather than eggs on animal carcasses. Larvae (maggots) feed on the decaying animal for around 7 days, then wriggle off to pupate. Adults hatch from the pupae after about 10 days
Because they show up nearly instantly when something dies and their development rate is linked very closely to temperature, these flies are often used to pinpoint the time of death in murder cases.
Flesh Fly Control Tips
- Eliminate Conducive Conditions: Unfortunately, there isn’t much you can do to stop the influx of these flies coming to a dead animal. If they are coming to a dead animal (fish carcasses, crawfish shells, etc), just make sure you dump the remains in a suitable location away from where you live.
- Flyswatter or Shop Vac: The same goes for flesh flies emerging from a carcase they’ve consumed. If you smell something dead – like maybe a mouse or rat has died in your attic, you can expect 50 to 100 flies to show up in your living room 12 to 14 days later. By the time you see these flies, there is nothing left of the carcass they developed on. Luckily, they all emerge about the same time and will congregate at the nearest, brightest window, so a flyswatter or shop vac can take care of them in a hurry. You may see a few stragglers the next day, but the problem won’t persist beyond that. There isn’t any chemical control that will outmatch a shop vac for this problem.
Professional Flesh Fly Control
If you are dealing with an infestation of Flesh Flies, Venus Pest Company can help. Founded by Aggie Entomologist Dr. Scott Lingren, we provide expert, eco-friendly Integrated Pest Management solutions in Bryan and College Station. To get started, fill out the contact form, call/text 979.774.0486 or email [email protected]. Don’t let nuisance pests take over your home!
